Wash-up device for printing press



Jan. 31, 1961 LE ROY c. COPE ETAL 2,969,735

WASH-UP DEVICE FOR PRINTING PRESS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 24, 1959 INVENTORS GLENN R. MEACHAM LAVERNE NELSON LeROY C. COPE ATTORNEY Jan. 31, 1961 Filed Feb. 24, 1959 LE ROY C. COPE ET AL WASH-UP DEVICE FOR PRINTING PRESS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS:

4 GLENN R. MEAC M LAVERNE NELS LeROY c. COPE NW 4 ATTORNEY United States Patent 6 WASH-UP DEVICE FOR PRINTING PRESS Le Roy C. Cope, 336 Arleta Ave., San Francisco, Calif.;

La Verne Nelson, San Francisco Calif. (1982 Bayshore Ave., Palo Alto, Calif.); and Glenn R. Meacham, Mountain View, Calif. (482 9th Ave., Menlo Park, Calif.)

Filed Feb. 24, 1959, Ser. No. 795,033

4 Claims. (Cl. 101-425) The invention relates to techniques and devices used for cleaning from the inking rolls and the ink transfer surfaces of a printing press, the ink previously used preparatory to shutting down of the press or changing the ink.

The removal of ink from the transfer rollers of a printing press is a time consuming and laborious operation. Most frequently the press is dismantled and the ink rollers are removed, washed, and replaced, and the other ink transfer surfaces similarly cleaned. The removal of ink must be complete. The washing and rubbing of the various ink rollers prematurely wears and injures surfaces of these rollers. It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a wash-up device of the character described which will quickly, effectively, and thoroughly remove ink from the press without dismantling the press or removing any of the inking rollers in the ink transfer system of the press, all of the rollers and ink transfer surfaces being effectively cleaned in place without handling or manual rubbing or abrasion whereby the integrity and good quality of the ink transfer surface is preserved and the life of the rollers greatly lengthened over the expected life heretofore obtained using conventional wash-up techniques.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a wash-up device for printing presses which is small, compact, and easily held in use and readily stored away when not in use.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a wash-up device of the character above which is composed of a minimum number of sturdily formed parts, and wherein the single part subject to wear is designed to preserve its effective action over a very long and useful life.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of the invention which is illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification. It is to be understood, however, that variations in the showing made by the said drawings and description may be adopted within the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

Referring to said drawings:

Figure l is a perspective view of a printing press showing a wash-up device of the present invention applied thereto.

Figure 2 is the fragmentary cross section view of portions of the printing press affected in the wash-up operation.

Figure 3 is a perspective of a wash-up device constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 4 is the cross sectional view of the wash-up device.

Figure 5 is an end elevation of the wash-up device in operative association with portions of the press.

The wash-up device of the present invention has been designed especially for a vertical style printing press such ICC as the Miehle printing press generally illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawing. This press includes a stock feeder assembly 6 which is illustrated in its open position swung. away from the printing press so as to show the lower ink distribution rollers 7 and the upper ink distribution rollers 8. Also shown in open position is the ink fountain 9, thus exposing the lower ink distribution rollers- 7 to which the wash-up attachment 11 of the present invention is applied.

A further detailing of the cooperating parts including the ink fountain 9 and the lower and upper ink distributing rollers 7 and 8, is provided in Fig. 2 of the drawing, wherein it will be observed that the ink fountain 9 includes a pair of rollers 12 and 13 which are used to carry ink from an ink supply well 14 to an ink transfer roller 16 forming part of the lower distributor assembly 7. Roller 12 is mounted in the ink supply 14 and roller 13 is mounted on an oscillating arm 17 carrying the roller 13 back and forth between rollers 12 and 16. Roller 13 is part of the ink fountain assembly 9 and is removed therewith in the open position of the fountain, as illustrated in Figure 1, so as to expose and provide access to roller 16. Roller 16 is normally made of steel and bears against a pair of composition or rubber ink transfer rollers 18 and 19 which in turn bear against and apply a coating of ink to the inking plate 21 of the press.

In the operation of the press the ink plate 21 is driven upwardly by the gear 26 and runs across the peripheries of ink transfer rollers 22 and 23 forming part of the upper ink distributor assembly 8. A pair of vibrator rollers 24 and 25 are mounted in contact with rollers 22 and 23 and help to smooth out the ink deposit on these rollers. Connected for reciprocation with the inking plate 21, is the type chase 27 carrying type face 28 which moves across rollers 22 and 23 for the deposit of ink thereon. The type chase is brought across rollers 22 and 23 on the down stroke of the press when the ink plate 21 is moved across transfer rollers 18 and 19. The carriage moves to the top of its stroke and on the ensuing down stroke, the type chase 27 is brought into juxtaposition with impression cylinder 29, see Figure 1, for printing of paper sheets deposited between the type chase and the impression cylinder.

Heretofore it has been the conventional practice to effect a wash-up of the press by opening the press as illustrated in Figure 1, and then removing the several rollers making up the lower and upper ink distributor assemblies and manually washing and scrubbing these rollers to clean them thoroughly from the ink previously used in the press. Similarly the other ink transfer surfaces need to be thoroughly washed and cleaned and the parts reassembled for the next running of the press. This wash-up operation will normally takeapproximately ten minutes or more in the case of most black inks and up to thirty minutes or more in the case of colored inks.

In accordance with the present invention, and as a principal feature thereof, the present wash-up attachment enables a thorough wash-up of the press and of all of the ink transfer portions without requiring the dismantling of any of the rollers or other parts making up the ink distributor assemblies. This is accomplished by opening the press, as depicted in Figure 1, and applying a suitable solvent 31, such as kerosene, to the lower ink distributor rollers 16, 18 and 19 which in turn transfers the solvent to the ink plate 21, the upper ink distributor assembly rollers 22 to 25, and the chase 27. The wash-up device of the present invention is then applied to the ink distributor roler 16 so as to remove the ink therefrom while the press is in operation and while cleaning solution 31 is sprayed or squirted on the lOWBI' roller assembly 7, as depicted in Figure 5. In this wash-up operation the normal ink transfer process is essentially reversed.

:each direction of rotation.

The inksolventis first carried from the lower ink distributor rollers 7 to the .upper rolierassembly vtlbythe normal operation of the press. Thereafter, however, as the ink is removed from roller 16 there is removal of ink fromthe associated rollers 18 andr19..and.then .in turn from .theplate .21 which'similarly removes the ink "solution from rollers 22 and 23, and they in turn remove the ink solution from the type chase :and rollers 24 and 25. The diluted ink flows rapidly from the furthermost point in the press to the. roller :16 for removal .and in this fashionthe entire ink transfersystem of the ation is effected .by operatingthe several partsin precisely the same liquid transfer manner in which they are designed, that is by runningroller on roller, etc. Consequently the rollers and other parts .are su-bjectedto much less wear vandvabrasion in following the-wash-up technique of the present invention than they vhaveexpe- :rienced heretofore. .Thus the use of the present wash-up attachment and technique will preserve the integrity and good quality and the form and shape of the ink transfer rollers and greatly lengthen their life expectancy in the press.

The device of the present invention consists briefly of -.an elongated trough-like open top container 32 having laterally spaced lengthwise extending side walls 33 and 34 and an open top 36, and an elongated rubber blade :member 37 mounted within the container and spaced in parallel relation tothe side walls 33 and 34 and extending from the top of the container for presentation of the top face 38 of the blade member to theperiphery of roller 16. As an important feature of the present invention the face 38 is formed with a longitudinal extending concavity which provides a pair of laterally spaced longitudinally extending blade edges 41 and 42 which are adapted for resilient spreading on the roller periphery to assume a stable tightly seated position thereon, as depicted in Figure 5, with the blade edges 41 and 42 running parallel to the axis on roller 16, whereby endwise reciprocation of roller 16 will beeifected with longitudinal slipping action along the blade edges 41 and 42. In the type of printing press with which'the device of the present invention is used, roller 16 is sometimes referred to as a vibrator roller and it rotates in reverse directions and also is provided with an endwise reciprocating motion so as to most uniformly transfer ink to the adjoining roller. Roller 16 rotates first in one direction a few turns and then reverses its direction of rotation. At the same time it is given a constant longitudinal oscillation so that it makes one or more longitudinal oscillations during The device of the present invention is preferably constructed to function in cooperation with and to accommodate these several motions of the ink transfer roller 16. For example the endwise reciprocation of the roller occurs parallel to the blade edges 41 and 42 as above noted and the rotation of the :roller 16 is perpendicular to the edges 41 and 42 for the removal of ink from the roller periphery onto the blade member 37 for flow thereover and into the container 32.

-As will be observed from Figures 4 and 5, the two lat- -erally spaced blade edges 41 and 42 cooperate to provide mutual support and ink removal in each direction of rotation of the roller.

The vertical printing press'to which the present. invention relates is provided with a crossbar 43 underlying As here shown, mounting means 46 is carried by the container .forengagement and support on the cross bar 43 for presentation of the top face 38 of the blade member 37 to the periphery of the roller 16 as above explained with the blade member 37 lying in a substantially radial plane of the roller, see Figures 4 and 5. The mounting means is here composed of a pair of longitudinally spaced hookshaped supporting members 47 and 48 which are carried by and extend from the normally rear wall 33 of the container for engagement over the cross bar 43 and the members .47. and 48 are spaced in'from the opposite ends 51 and 52 of the container so as to clear what would be otherwise interfering portions of the press. Movement of the device to and from roller 16 is facilitated by handle 53 which is here carried by and extends from the normally front wall 34 of the container for manual engagement and for swinging of the container on the cross bar 43 to the position presenting the blade edges 41 and 42 to the periphery of roller 16 as above explained. If desired, and as hereshown, handle 53 may be detachably secured as by bolt 56 to the front wall 34 of the container, removal of the handle being thus readily effected for shipping, etc.

The blade member 37 may be of flat elongated form as here depicted, and is carried at its base in a channelshaped support 58 extending longitudinally between end walls 51. and 52 of the container. Preferably, and as an important feature of the present invention, the concavity in the top face 38 is formed with a radius of curvature shorter than the radius of curvature of roller 16 so that ,on presentation of the top face to the roller periphery, the blade edges 41 and 42 Will be resiliently spread to assume their stable tightly seated'position 'on the roller periphery. In this position, the edges 41 and 42 will provide mutual support for each other and the operator may easily and comfortably hold the blade against roller 16 during both directions of rotation of roller 16 Without encountering a flipping of the blade away from the roller periphery. The resilient spreading .of the edges 41 and 42 tends to always keep these edges sharpened for most effective wiping off of ink from the roller 16 thus improving the effective life of the device. The dissolved ink comes off of roller 16 smoothly and continuously and flows over therubber blade member into the container.

An oil and gasoline resistant rubbercomposition is preferred in construction of blade member 37 so that it will have requisite flexibility, softness and resilience. Sometimes ink is permitted to dry on roller 16 and the softness and flexibility of the blade member permits it to accommodate minor irregularities of this kind on the roller. Special oil resistant rubber compositions or synthetic rubber such as neoprene is preferred.

The printing press is also provided witha main frame having spaced-apart'frame supports 61 and 62 here used to journal the opposite ends of-roller-16 and also to supvport the opposite ends of the underlying cross bar 43. As will be further observed from Figures 3, 4 and 5, the wash-up device of the present invention is provided with a pair of lugs 63 and 64 which are mounted on and project from the rear wall 33 of the trough-like container for engagement with the frame parts 61 and 62 to thereby assist in the support of the blade 37 against roller 16 as above described, the lugs 63 and 64 rotating with the elevation of handle 53 as above described into a stopped engagement with the frame parts 61 and 62.

We claim:

1. A Wash-up device for a printing press having a reversely rotatingendwise reciprocating ink transfer roller comprising, an elongated container having laterally spaced lengthwise extending side walls and an open top, and an elongated rubber blade member mounted within said 'container in spacedparallel relation tosaid side walls and extendingfrom the open top of said container and providing .a top face for presentation to the periphery of said roller, said face being formed with a longitudinal extending concavity providing a pair of laterally spaced longitudinally extending blade edges adapted for resilient spreading upon said roller periphery to assume a stable tightly seated position thereon with said blade edges running parallel to the axis of said roller whereby endwise reciprocation of said roller will be effected with longitudinal slipping action along said blade edges and rotation of said roller will be perpendicular to said edges for the removal of ink from said roller periphery on to said blade member for flow thereover and into said container, the two laterally spaced blade edges cooperat ing to provide mutual support and ink removal in each direction of rotation of said roller.

2. A wash-up device for printing press having a reversely rotating endwise reciprocating ink transfer roller and underlying parallel crossbar comprising, an elongated container having laterally spaced lengthwise extending front and rear side walls and an open top, an elongated rubber blade member mounted Within said container in spaced parallel relation to said side walls and extending from the open top of said container and providing a top face for presentation to said roller, and mounting means carried by said container at said rear wall for engagement and pivotal support on said cross bar and a handle mounted on and extending forwardly from said front wall for manual raising of said top face and said blade member into engagement with the periphery of said roller with said blade member lying in a substantially radial plane, said face being formed with a longitudinal extending concavity providing a pair of laterally spaced longitudinally extending blade edges adapted for resilient spreading upon said roller periphery to assume a stable tightly seated position thereon with said blade edges running parallel to the axis of said roller whereby endwise reciprocation of said roller will be effected with longitudinally slipping action along said blade edges and rotation of said roller will be perpendicular to said edges for the removal of ink from said roller periphery on to said blade member for flow thereover and into said container, the two laterally spaced blade edges cooperating to provide mutual support and ink removal in each direction of rotation of said roller.

3. A wash-up device for and functioning in cooperation with a vertical press having a reversely rotating endwise reciprocating ink transfer roller and an underlying parallel cross bar comprising, an elongated troughlike open top container having laterally spaced front and rear lengthwise extending walls, a flat elongated rubber member mounted within said container in spaced parallel relation to said walls and extending from the open top of said container and providing a top face for presentation to said roller, a pair of longitudinally spaced hook-shaped supporting members carried by and extending from the said rear. wall for engagement with and support on said cross bar, and a handle carried by and extending from said front wall for manual engagement and for swinging of said container on said cross bar to position the plane of said blade member in a substantial radial plane of said roller and with the top face of said blade member presented to the periphery of said roller, said top face being formed with a longitudinal extending concavity having a radius of curvature shorter than the radius of curvature of said roller and providing a pair of laterally spaced longitudinal extending blade edges adapted for resilient spreading action upon said roller periphery to assume a stable tightly seated position thereon with said blade edges cooperating to provide mutual support and ink removal in each direction of rotation of said roller.

4. A wash-up device for and functioning in cooperation with a vertical printing press having a frame and a reversely rotating endwise reciprocating ink transfer roller and an underlying parallel cross bar comprising, an elongated trough-like open top container having laterally spaced front and rear lengthwise extending walls, a flat elongated rubber blade member mounted within said container in spaced relation to said walls and extending from the open top of said container and providing a top face for presentation to said roller, a pair of longitudinally spaced hook-shaped supporting members carried by and extending from the said rear wall for engagement with and support on said cross bar, a handle carried by and extending from said front wall for manual engagement and for swinging of said container on said cross bar to present the top face of said blade member to the periphery of said roller, said top face being formed with a longitudinal extending concavity having a radius of curvature shorter than the radius of curvature of said roller and providing a pair of laterally spaced longitudinal extending blade edges adapted for resilient spreading upon said roller periphery to assume a stable tightly seated position thereon with said blade edges cooperating to provide mutual support and ink removal in each direction of rotation of said roller and lugs mounted on and projecting from said rear wall for engagement with said frame for assisting in the support of said blade against said roller as described.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,302,490 Curtis Nov. 17, 1942 2,323,907 Harriss et a1. July 13, 1943 2,447,090 Pollock Aug. 17, 1948 2,495,017 Meyer Jan. 17, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 792,411 France July 13, '1935 

